HWY 1 Monterey to Ventura

[Vic]

Hi all - planning a low key cruise down HWY 1 from Monterey to Ventura in November - any suggestions for must see places/food stops/favorite camping? We are planning a day at Hearst Castle but other than that pretty much the only plan is mosey on south. May spend a day or two in Carizzo Plains on the way back

Thx - Vic

 

[Tuff Guy 62]

Plenty of places it's hard to pick and choose.

Limekiln & Plaskett State Parks south of Big Sur are nice places to camp, but can be tough to get a spot.

A stop just south of the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse is a must do if the elephant seals are out & about.

San Simeon State Park, just south of Hearst Castle, is a good place to lay over after the castle tour. Or travel a little further south and stay at Montana de Oro State Park, very scenic.

Lot's of good places to eat in Cambria, just depends on what you like. If you like steak, I recommend Jocko's in Nipomo. Advance reservations are a must!

Just south of Lompoc, Jalama Beach County Park is a nice place for camping, but can also be tough to get a spot.

On your return trip, I recommend traveling Hwy. 33 north to the Carrizo Plain, very scenic. Two campgrounds (KCL & Selby) or you can boondock in the back country.

Have fun!!!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

If you need a camp site in Monterey there is the Veterans Park up Jefferson st.
Just follow the signs by Colton Hall.

A great bakery in downtown Monterey is Parker Losseau next to the post office.

Point Lobos SP is a great animal stop no camping and you can't even bring a dog in,but if you are traveling with one just park on the Hwy and walk in.

The Big Sur Bakery/Market good pastries and sandwichs.

The Washburn campground at San Simeon is nice and quiet. It's up on the hill,good views of the ocean/moon rise/sunset you can even hear the waves. Make sure you have water here as the only water is a hose by the host site at the entrance.

In Cambria the BBQ place next to the Shell gas and there's an Italian place in the middle of next to
the post office also a good bakery in the same area.
Nice walking trail next to the ocean at Moonstone Dr.

Montana Del Oro is a great place to camp also good walks.Small camp/w good sites.

Also fill up with gas in Monterey as gas in Cambria is sky high.

Have a great trip.
Frank

Some shots from the San Simeon SP area.

 

[Vic]

Cool - thanks guys. Just what I was looking for.

I know the weather can be a gamble that time of year but not worried - its going to be a nice relaxing drive. Really looking forward to seeing something completely new.

 

[Tuff Guy 62]

Have fun and make sure to share your pics!

 

[SunMan]

Shell Beach - De Palo and Sons Market
Ventura - Mexican: Johnny's or Corrales. Fish Tacos: Spencer McKenzies

 

[BobM]

3 weeks ago we took the coast from Huntington beach all the way to Big Basin and hit Pinnacles National park on the way back. We did stay at Veterans campground in Monterey as well and it's up the hill through a neighborhood. The also play taps each day. Lots of homeless people stay there but they weren't a problem but very entertaining. If you have the time stay on hwy 1 as much as possible because even though a little slower, very scenic. Morro Bay state campground is real nice and off the beaten path. And across the street in the marina parking lot is a real good place to eat. Here's a slide of that trip to peak your interest:

 

[Ronin]

My favorite is Kirk Creek CG. Not many spaces so make a reservation if you can. I've been shutout a couple of times before I wised up and started making reservations. If its full you can drive up to the top of Nacimiento-Ferguson Road and there are 2 campgrounds there. Not near as pretty as Kirk Creek however but very secluded and generally quiet. I've seen people camped along the road at some turnouts that have great views of the ocean at about the 1,000' elevation. Happy camping!!

 

[SunMan]

Ronin, on 27 Sept 2016 - 09:46 AM, said:
If its full you can drive up to the top of Nacimiento-Ferguson Road and there are 2 campgrounds there.

Be advised most all of the Los Padres NF is currently closed in the Monterey District due to the Soberanes fire. Do check status before you depart in November if you plan to use this option.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/lpnf/alerts-notices/?aid=36366

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd517246.pdf

 

[my_wild_dreams_]

I'm in Santa Cruz right now and will be going south towards Ventura over the next month or however long.

I've done some research and it looks like there are a TON of nice places between Monterey and San Luis Obispo. The hard part for me out here is finding places to park for the night. I don't pay for campsites and I don't like to park illegally. The cities between Carmel and S.L.O. look REALLY small, and probably hard to park in. An example near Santa Cruz is Davenport. It's big enough to have spots for me, but the streets are FULL of no parking signs. Ugh.. Anyone have advice on where to park for the nights between Carmel and San Luis Obispo?

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Also, if you like good views, I've done some research on Landscape Photography spots. I've uplaoded an Excel file to this post that has the locations with GPS coordinates and (sometimes just the north/south) distances between them.

One resource had a lot of spots listed in this area. I found all the GPS coordinates and sorted them from North to South. I also included the towns of any significant size (like more than a couple hundred people). I'll be using this a reference of as I go south.